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With Florida's starting quarterback, DJ Lagway, dealing with injury, Louisville transfer Harrison Bailey has been able to take first-team reps during the spring practice period. On Saturday, Bailey led the Orange Team in a 38-29 loss to the Blue Team in the Gators' spring game.
Despite the final scoring not being in favor of Bailey's team, he helped orchestrate a strong second-half comeback and threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns on 29-of-43 passing. Bailey spoke to the media after the win and broke down his first start in The Swamp, albeit an exhibition game. He gave credit to his receiver, namely five-star freshman Dallas Wilson, who set a spring game record with 10 catches and tied another record with 195 receiving yards.
"My first start was versus Florida when I was at Tennessee. I'm really experienced, considering I grew up a Florida fan watching Tebow and Chris Rainey, Demps and all the boys play. But it was pretty unreal, running out in the stadium, being able to compete and play against some of my teammates and with some of my teammates. It was an unreal experience. Something I've dreamed of since I was a little kid."
"I didn't think we'd get to that point, but we fell behind early, and we're just moving up and down the field and the run game really wasn't working. So we start throwing it up, and it helps when you have guys like No. 10 (Tank Hawkins) and No. 6 (Dallas Wilson) catching the ball for you."
"I was stoked to have Dallas when they announced the teams, and I told him as soon as they put it up on the screen that he was going to have 10-plus catches, 200-plus (yards). I was gonna find a way to get him the ball. That's one of the jobs of a quarterback, getting the playmakers the ball and let them make plays."
"When he came out there, I mean, he looked the part for sure. Just seeing him in one-on-ones; he plays in a very veteran kind of style, the way he runs routes is very crisp, very big, a physical guy with a big radius. So, Dallas is one that really impressed."
"I would say it does a lot. It's pretty big, especially heading into the summer where we'll get a little bit of time off and then have OTAs. It's just good momentum to have. I think we played well. I think everybody, really everybody on the Orange Team's offense performed."
"This is my COVID year. Yeah, this is my last year. A big thing, and I've had a few people ask me with my whole college journey, how did I end up here? Like I said earlier, it's a dream school of mine. I knew when the opportunity arose that this is the place where I wanted to be and finish off my college career. Wherever it goes, it goes, you know?"
"DJ is a great guy. One of the best quarterbacks that I've been around. From the perspective of one, he's very skilled, a great dude. We chop it up all the time, just about life in general. Just a very down-to-earth guy, somebody that I'm glad I'm in the room with. We just bounce ideas off each other and any way that I can help him in his career and likewise with me, any way he can help me, we learn from each other."
"I seen it was backed up. I got to pause for a second. I looked and I was like, man. It felt like me when I was first coming up. But yeah, he was awesome. He deserves it, great dude. Very popular."
"Coach Brohm is awesome. Different style coach than Coach Napier. I tell people all the time that Coach Napier is my favorite coach that I've ever been around. Any position, anything. Coach Nape is down to earth. He'll shoot it straight with you. But also, he'll put you under his wing and teach you. Coach Brohm, he runs a great system. They have a great program up there. It's been on the up-and-up every single year. I was there for two years with him, and I have nothing but good things to say about him and his brother."
"Coach O'Hara has been pretty cool to work with. He's taught me pretty much everything that I've known since I've been here. I would say the system's a little different. Just verbiage and some of the calls are a little more wordy and just getting a whole grasp on the offense. It's been a little bit different, but Coach O'Hara has really helped that process by preparing us for meetings and one-on-one meetings and whatever it may be, walkthroughs. He's been a big part of helping me learn."
"I feel like the first couple of days of spring ball, I'm just guessing, and now he's able to call whatever and I know what I'm supposed to be doing. A few plays today I made a few mistakes, just like eyes are i the wrong place, took the wrong drop, whatever it may be. But I'm still progressing. He lets me know for sure when I'm not doing the right stuff."
"I told somebody earlier in spring that asked about our receiving group, and I said it was one of the best that I've ever seen in college football. Every one of those guys has speed, has range, surefire hands and run great routes. And most of them are, if not all of them are in their first year in the system, trying to learn just how to run routes, get a feel for the offense. It's going to be a dangerous group for sure."
"Jack cheese (Ja'Kobi Jackson), it's his nickname. We love my guy. He's a special talent, but the whole the whole group in general, they're tight-knit group. JB (Jadan Baugh), obviously he's from my area, so I've known JB for a while. They're real close, and they all push each other. They taught me a big thing. There's a difference between competing and competition, and that group, they compete every day, in and out, pushing each other. Again, they're like the quarterback group. They bounce ideas off each other, so it's going to be an exciting group. You see what they did today. They was running the ball."
"I didn't even know until some of the Gators fans were running up to me telling me, yeah. It's tricky. I don't know the whole situation, so I can't really comment too much on it, but I've met Nico before, and I know how coach Heupel and the group is. They're all great people. I've nothing negative to say about them, but maybe the situation just wasn't right at the time and they parted ways...
"... When I first entered college, there was no such thing as the portal. Which is interesting to say. Yeah, I don't know, it's a new day and age in football. I'm glad I'm getting out of it. It's helped me a lot. So, I mean, I will say thank you."
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators QB Harrison Bailey quotes from Orange and Blue Game
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Despite the final scoring not being in favor of Bailey's team, he helped orchestrate a strong second-half comeback and threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns on 29-of-43 passing. Bailey spoke to the media after the win and broke down his first start in The Swamp, albeit an exhibition game. He gave credit to his receiver, namely five-star freshman Dallas Wilson, who set a spring game record with 10 catches and tied another record with 195 receiving yards.
On return to Florida as a member of Gators
"My first start was versus Florida when I was at Tennessee. I'm really experienced, considering I grew up a Florida fan watching Tebow and Chris Rainey, Demps and all the boys play. But it was pretty unreal, running out in the stadium, being able to compete and play against some of my teammates and with some of my teammates. It was an unreal experience. Something I've dreamed of since I was a little kid."
On throwing 40-plus passes in an exhibition
"I didn't think we'd get to that point, but we fell behind early, and we're just moving up and down the field and the run game really wasn't working. So we start throwing it up, and it helps when you have guys like No. 10 (Tank Hawkins) and No. 6 (Dallas Wilson) catching the ball for you."
More on Dallas Wilson
"I was stoked to have Dallas when they announced the teams, and I told him as soon as they put it up on the screen that he was going to have 10-plus catches, 200-plus (yards). I was gonna find a way to get him the ball. That's one of the jobs of a quarterback, getting the playmakers the ball and let them make plays."
"When he came out there, I mean, he looked the part for sure. Just seeing him in one-on-ones; he plays in a very veteran kind of style, the way he runs routes is very crisp, very big, a physical guy with a big radius. So, Dallas is one that really impressed."
On confidence after throwing for 363 yards, 3 touchdowns
"I would say it does a lot. It's pretty big, especially heading into the summer where we'll get a little bit of time off and then have OTAs. It's just good momentum to have. I think we played well. I think everybody, really everybody on the Orange Team's offense performed."
On the decision to transfer to Florida
"This is my COVID year. Yeah, this is my last year. A big thing, and I've had a few people ask me with my whole college journey, how did I end up here? Like I said earlier, it's a dream school of mine. I knew when the opportunity arose that this is the place where I wanted to be and finish off my college career. Wherever it goes, it goes, you know?"
On playing behind DJ Lagway, opportunity with injury concerns
"DJ is a great guy. One of the best quarterbacks that I've been around. From the perspective of one, he's very skilled, a great dude. We chop it up all the time, just about life in general. Just a very down-to-earth guy, somebody that I'm glad I'm in the room with. We just bounce ideas off each other and any way that I can help him in his career and likewise with me, any way he can help me, we learn from each other."
On Lagway's autograph line
"I seen it was backed up. I got to pause for a second. I looked and I was like, man. It felt like me when I was first coming up. But yeah, he was awesome. He deserves it, great dude. Very popular."
On Napier compared to Louisville coach Jeff Brohm
"Coach Brohm is awesome. Different style coach than Coach Napier. I tell people all the time that Coach Napier is my favorite coach that I've ever been around. Any position, anything. Coach Nape is down to earth. He'll shoot it straight with you. But also, he'll put you under his wing and teach you. Coach Brohm, he runs a great system. They have a great program up there. It's been on the up-and-up every single year. I was there for two years with him, and I have nothing but good things to say about him and his brother."
On learning Florida's offense
"Coach O'Hara has been pretty cool to work with. He's taught me pretty much everything that I've known since I've been here. I would say the system's a little different. Just verbiage and some of the calls are a little more wordy and just getting a whole grasp on the offense. It's been a little bit different, but Coach O'Hara has really helped that process by preparing us for meetings and one-on-one meetings and whatever it may be, walkthroughs. He's been a big part of helping me learn."
"I feel like the first couple of days of spring ball, I'm just guessing, and now he's able to call whatever and I know what I'm supposed to be doing. A few plays today I made a few mistakes, just like eyes are i the wrong place, took the wrong drop, whatever it may be. But I'm still progressing. He lets me know for sure when I'm not doing the right stuff."
On other receivers, depth at that position
"I told somebody earlier in spring that asked about our receiving group, and I said it was one of the best that I've ever seen in college football. Every one of those guys has speed, has range, surefire hands and run great routes. And most of them are, if not all of them are in their first year in the system, trying to learn just how to run routes, get a feel for the offense. It's going to be a dangerous group for sure."
On running backs
"Jack cheese (Ja'Kobi Jackson), it's his nickname. We love my guy. He's a special talent, but the whole the whole group in general, they're tight-knit group. JB (Jadan Baugh), obviously he's from my area, so I've known JB for a while. They're real close, and they all push each other. They taught me a big thing. There's a difference between competing and competition, and that group, they compete every day, in and out, pushing each other. Again, they're like the quarterback group. They bounce ideas off each other, so it's going to be an exciting group. You see what they did today. They was running the ball."
On Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee situation
"I didn't even know until some of the Gators fans were running up to me telling me, yeah. It's tricky. I don't know the whole situation, so I can't really comment too much on it, but I've met Nico before, and I know how coach Heupel and the group is. They're all great people. I've nothing negative to say about them, but maybe the situation just wasn't right at the time and they parted ways...
"... When I first entered college, there was no such thing as the portal. Which is interesting to say. Yeah, I don't know, it's a new day and age in football. I'm glad I'm getting out of it. It's helped me a lot. So, I mean, I will say thank you."
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators QB Harrison Bailey quotes from Orange and Blue Game
Continue reading...
